Call it a hangover

Is anybody panicking after the Canucks' 2nd straight loss? They shouldn't be. I think this type of losing after a massive winning streak is fairly normal. The highs and lows of a season after all.
The power play (1 shot in 3 PP chances?) and attaining golden scoring chances (Nucks outshot in every period) are in the forefront of the Vancouver Province today and I think that is a fair assessment. We need more shots from the point, but at the same time, as Bieksa had mentioned, they don't want to shoot the pucks into a blocking defender giving them an easy clear. Screw it. Blast the puck at guys and make them pay for it if they want to block it. Ask Ryan Johnson about that.
Speaking of Johnson...
The Canucks have lost the first 2 games after Johnson went out with broken bones.
Would that now be 2 games played by Kevin Bieksa since his return with both games being losses? TRADE HIM NOW!!!
I kid....mostly.
I feel the worst for kid Cory Schneider, who played his heart out of Hockey Night in Canada no less, but was not bailed out by his team. 31-18 were the final shots. I like the composure of the kid. I bet he gets a fair bit more games played coming up.

What was Wellwood implying with his hand gestures after his goal? That was cool. A weight off his mind? I will he was thinking... "I'm a genius!"
Who knows.

Getting back to the original point: the Canucks are going through the natural cycle after a winning streak. Look at Detroit: they have lost 3 of their last 4.

SOUND OFF

CANUCKS ON SCHNEIDER (canucks.com)

“He’s looked great; he’s steady, he’s been great technically and when the pucks are hitting him, that means he’s doing a good job.” Luongo

“It’s his first game so it’s really exciting and he’s doing an amazing job out there." - Hansen

“I had a lot of fun out there, it was really exciting and I think I answered a few questions about myself,” said Schneider.

“At the same time, we didn’t get the points we needed and Calgary’s kind of closing in on us. It was a very big game and we didn’t get the win.”

He's right. Minnesota and Calgary are now only 1 point behind us. How quickly a 5-point spread can disappear.
The story on Schneider is very interesting. It is great if he can continue to show this maturity and poise, because he could be the future of the franchise if Luongo is not signed long term next year.

“We’re going to make sure we win the next one for him.” - Wellwood.

Great stuff.

Schneider image from Canucks.com


T Tags: Canucks Flames Game+review November+29+2008 Cory+Schneider+NHL+debut power+play+sucks

Canucks come up Lame

What a disappointing way to give up the game-winning goal:



The streak had to end at some point. I still hate that it has. The Canucks let up on the Flames and paid for it.
They didn't play terrible, but lacked some of the intensity from recent games, they really didn't capitalize on their chances (Hansen breakaway comes to mind) and at some point the power play has to come to life. I'm not so sure what will get the PP going. Less passing more shots? (I believe they only had 4 shots total on 4 power plays. More traffic in front of the net? I am surprised that the Canucks have been this successful in November without being all that effective with the man-advantage. But in order to sustain long-term success they will have to find ways to score 5 on 4 or even 5 on 3.

You could see Calgary getting their shiz together as the game went on. That was a character win by a team who has struggled on the road.

Funny thing...I was watching the game with my uncle and cousin at a sportsbar here in Abbotsford, and we were wondering if Iginla was even playing. Right then Iginla made that sweet pass to Cammalleri on the delayed Canucks penalty to tie the game at 2 late in the 2nd period.
Why did it surprise me that that was Cammalleri's first career hat trick? He made it look easy.

Can't wait for the rematch on Saturday in Calgary. I thought it would be a lot more physical last night...maybe Saturday night will be alright for fighting.

BOXSCORE & HIGHLIGHTS

T Tags: Canucks Flames game+review Cammalleri+hat+trick lame+power+play

Canucks-Flames preview

I like the attitude of Ryan Johnson. When asked if he will change his game when he comes back 3-5 weeks from now, as he has a broken finger and foot, he said "No."
Johnson is a gutsy, character guy. He will be hard to replace. Alexandre Bolduc will try to fill Johnson's role the best he can.

“Here, I’m not going to try to do anything crazy, I’m going to play my game, play it safe,” said Bolduc. “Not get noticed in a bad way, keep it simple and go from there.

“I think there are lot of guys they could have called up from our team, we’re on a roll right now. Ryan Johnson is a defensive guy and they wanted someone who could fill that role, so I’m just going to come here and play that role the best I can."

I haven't seen Bolduc play much at all, so I don't know what to expect from him. He does have 8 points in 12 games with the Moose this year. Is he going to block shots and be an effective shutdown guy? We'll see.

Mike Brown will replace Steve Bernier, who has a bruised shoulder. Bernier has not found his offensive stride here yet, so we won't miss him up front in that way. He is a pretty aggressive guy though who finishes his checks. Brown will have no problems filling that role one bit.

It appears Kevin Bieksa will return to play against the Flames. I have mixed emotions on his return. I hope he plays consistently.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

While the Canucks continue to roll, the Flames are not. Calgary has won 3 of their last 5, but are 5-5 in their last 10. Inconsistent. They are starting to remind me of the team that played under Jim Playfair 2 seasons ago. Calgary's home record: 8-3-1. Their road record: 4-6-0.
-The dominating Canucks are sitting 5 points ahead of the trailing Wild and Flames.
How does the Flames rank in stats with the rest of the NHL?
Goals per game: 10th at 2.96 Canucks are 9th.
Goals against per game: 27th, allowing an average of 3.18 GPG. Canucks rank 3rd.
Who's better 5 on 5? Canucks by a landslide.
Power play efficiency: 12th overall at 19.5%. Canucks are 18th overall.
Penalty Kill efficiency: 13th at 82.5%. Canucks are 19th.
The Flames have a higher shots per game average and they allow less shots per game on average than Vancouver.


Flames Player Stats. Ooo, I'm loving Kipper's stats! Ass!

So what can we possibly expect from this game? That's easy. We should see an angry Flames squad that wants some redemption from the 2 times we handed them their asses in October: 5-4 and 6-0 wins. Calgary destroyed the Kings 6-2 in their last game. Mike Keenan changed every Flames line to get the team going and it worked.
The Canucks have been pretty composed lately but I think the Flames will break that wall down. There should be plenty of hits and a few great fights to go along with that. That should get the GM Place fans going.
I'm calling a Canucks win at home and a Flames win in Calgary.

For all those people who are still concerned about Luongo being out for a while, here is a thought for you: The Canucks are 14-6-2 right now. If they play 500 hockey until Louie's return they should still be in great shape. 500 hockey is not a lot to ask is it? It helps me sleep at night!

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET

Above image is from Mattgunn.ca

T Tags: Canucks+Flames+Preview November+27+2008 Bernier+Johnson+injured Brown+Bolduc+in

Is Bertuzzi back?

"Bertuzzi Powers Win" says a Calgary Sun article today.

"I find it hard to root against Bertuzzi with everyone piling the hate onto him in the past. Glad to see him doing well."

- said a commenter at The Battle of Alberta.
I have to agree. Hey, I've piled the hate onto Bertuzzi as well. I never liked him floating around the ice, taking bonehead penalties and underachieving. But even a hater like me can appreciate the effort Big Bert is putting out there with the Flames in their first 3 games. Yes, he is still prone to being a floater or looking lost out there on occasion, but he's always been like that. His strength is in his power forward physical game. Call me nuts, but this year's version of Bertuzzi looks a lot more enthusiastic and mean than I've seen him in a long time. He is way more aggressive around the net and he's taking guys out with solid hits. And the goals are coming for him. That's 3 in 3 games for Bert, who currently leads the Flames in that category.
Why the change of heart?
Playing with a super leader and skilled player in Iginla helps.
Maybe being highly doubted when he was acquired by Calgary is motivating him.
Maybe he is getting his mind off the Steve Moore case finally and concentrating on what makes him successful on the ice.
Whatever it is, if he keeps this up, he is going to be a major bargain for the Flames at $2 million. I still hate Bertuzzi and the Flames don't get me wrong, but I can always appreciate a come-back story no matter who it is. Well, except Ryan Hollweg I suppose.

"Todd played an excellent game for us, the whole line had jump and you could see that he's recapturing the form that we've seen in the past and that's exciting for our team and our fans," said Flames coach Mike Keenan

"With Jarome, how he skates and how he shoots, there's going to be some juicy rebounds around if I'm just patient enough," said Bertuzzi. "It's about being at the right spot at the right time and not being overly aggressive."

-quotes from TSN

T Tags: Todd+Bertuzzi+is+back Calgary+Flames

Canucks 5 Flames 4: period by period. Thanks, refs

PERIOD 1

It's a new Flames team tonight. They are even more energized playing at home, executing a tenacious forecheck and hitting everything in sight. When Hank Sedin scored only 2:11 into the game, you got that feeling that another blowout could happen. Kipper looked soft again. But then a string of events happened that put the Flames ahead by 2.
-Andre Roy scored the tying goal about 30 seconds later getting the Sea of Red back into the game. Luongo didn't look sharp on that one.
-Kevin Bieksa went out of his way to hit Wayne Primeau along the boards and injured his leg or knee.
-The Flames forechecked even harder and Bertuzzi gets his first goal by standing in front of Luongo and the puck nicked his stick on the way to the net.
-Luongo is not going to get away with diving this year. I'm fine with that.
-Not even a minute later the puck does the pinball machine thing around Luongo and Rene Bourque taps it in.
So the Flames have answered the bell. The Canucks look 2 steps behind.
-I'm telling you, Mason Raymond is going to get his head taken off one of these days. Bertuzzi almost got him near the end of the first.
-Pavol Demitra...show me something. No really. It's like having Naslund on our team all over again. Perimeter useless player. Demitra will match up better against a skilled opponent that isn't headhunting. In games like this he has to get his hands dirty and he doesn't seem to be the guy to do that. Gutless.
-If Bertuzzi plays all season long like he is playing right now he will get more than 60 points and resurrect his career.

PERIOD 2

- 2 minutes into the period the fights break out. Hordichuk beats down Roy, and then Rypien absolutely destroys Prust.
-it took a while for the Canucks to finally gain some momentum after those tilts because Ryan Kesler took a hooking penalty right afterwards.
-at 9:41 the Canucks get a surprise goal from their 4th line. Rypien scores again. Nice passing play.
-1 minute later Ryan Kesler barges into the Flames zone, passes it to Hansen who shoots it, and Kesler cleans up the garbage making it 3-3. The Flames had stopped their insane physical forechecking for a while there. But then they got their game back, and Cammalleri slams the puck past Luongo's left pad to put the Flames back up again. I didn't like that goal. Perhaps Luongo should have had that. He didn't expect a shot from Cammalleri though because the former King was being tackled while he shot.
-Can the Canucks come back? If the Flames keep their puck control game going it is going to be tough.
-If the Flames open a can on the Nucks in the 3rd expect this game to get nasty.
-I hate Demitra. Check that...I fucking hate Pavol Demitra. If an opposing player comes at him, he coughs the puck up. Chickenshit bastard. Line 2 sucks so far, but do seem to be coming alive.

PERIOD 3 / OT

-The Canucks hung in there in the 3rd and matched Calgary's physicality. The Sedins and Bernier click again and tie it 4-4. But let's just cut to the chase here. Bertuzzi and the Flames were victimized by a lousy call with under 2 minutes left in the 3rd. Sure Bertuzzi pushed Johnson into the boards and barely deserved the boarding penalty. But Johnson sold it with theatrics that would make Woody Allen proud. Should have been a diving/unsportsmanlike penalty tacked on there as well. The Flames never regained their composure after that heading into OT. So Oake/Hrudey/Milburry gave Bert the gears after the game and it's unfortunate because Big Bert played so well. And hell, I don't even like the guy! Yet a gutsy performance deserves recognition.
-Speaking of gutsy... Demitra tried to be a little more physical in the 3rd. His first attempt at a hit, he ran into a ref and nearly fell on his ass. So I'm watching this clown very closely and my god is he ever terrible. Sure, he scores the winner and yells "Motherfucker!" and that was cool. But he hasn't won me over. Throw that pedestal away. I can't even count how many times he turned over the puck tonight. He is a lousy backchecker. He doesn't fit in. The guy looks content to stay wide on the perimeter and hope the puck comes to him. He isn't going to charge the net or get the puck out of the corners. Gutless. Meanwhile, the players around him are playing their fucking hearts out.
I don't think I've ever been so angry after a Canucks win.
To be positive, that was a hell of a game. The hits were insane. Good thing the Canucks don't have to play teams like Calgary too often. Brutality out there. Once/if the Flames get their shit together they are going to be really good. The chemistry of that team is not quite there yet. Inconsistent.
So, that is 8 games in a row now including preseason that the Canucks have not lost in regulation.
Badda bop bop bah I'm lovin' it.

Summary from NHL.com.

BOX SCORE (ESPN)

T Tags: Canucks+beat+Flames+again overtime Demitra game+recap

Canucks-Flames preview: Take 2

After a complete dismantling by the Canucks on regular season opening night, expect the Flames to come out even harder in Calgary tonight. Mike Keenan probably personally whipped each player with his belt.
This new version of the Canucks has pretty much been in the driver's seat since the beginning of preseason. If the Flames can actually score the first goal and control their emotions the momentum may actually be theirs. More importantly, they are going to need Kipper to outplay Luongo, which seems a daunting task given the way the sloppy Fin has been playing lately. Their new acquisitions in Bertuzzi, Cammalleri, Bourque, are going to have to do better than no goals, minimal shots and -3 ratings. I didn't think Iginla was all that bad in game 1, but he didn't bury his chances either.
The Canucks are out to prove that they are the real deal. If they can win this game tonight, they should have everyone's attention, if they don't already.
I'm hoping for another 6-0 win. Is that likely? That would be a massive statement. The Canucks are playing with such brash desire right now. They can get scoring from all their lines, Luongo looks poised if not possessed and they stick up for eachother. Like Steve Bernier said about his tilt with Phaneuf after he hit a Sedin:

In my mind, it was a big hit in the middle against one of our best players and as a teammate, you don’t have a choice. You’ve got to defend your teammate and know if I get hit, somebody will defend me.

That's the kind of stuff that will make Bernier a hero and also the team successful.
Let's see if Line 2 can cash in tonight. How many fights will we see? It's going to be another rough and tough affair.
The Flames will get even tougher tonight, as Robyn Regehr will return to the lineup after missing game 1 because his wife was going into labor.

Prediction: 3-2 Canucks.

Time: 7:00 PM PST
TV: CBC

T Tags:Canucks+Flames+preview 2008-09 Season Game+2 Kipper+sucks

Duh...where are the Canucks going to get their scoring from?

I got sick and tired of that question, as it was asked hundreds of times from several media outlets before the season started. Hell, Scott Oake and the CBC guys asked the same question prior to the puck dropping for the Canucks-Flames game last night.
The answer is glaringly obvious at this point: from the top 3 lines, just as it should be. And once in a while a guy like Rick Rypien is going to blow by 2 defenders and bury a shorthanded breakaway goal!
What a night. The Luc Bourdon tribute was tremendous. Tom Cochrane singing "Big League" was absolutely fitting. Nice touch, Tom. And then the Canucks, especially Alex Burrows, go out and destroy the Lames.
If this is any indication of how the Canucks will be this season:
- we're bigger and nobody f**ks with us. That was a great physical game wasn't it? Hits galore.
- the Canucks' defencemen will pinch in when the chance is given, as you saw with Ohlund's goal.
- the defensive system is still there...but with the reins loosened a bit.
- Taylor Pyatt is going to make you love him, hate him, and then love him again all in the span of one game.
- all Steve Bernier has to do is go to the net. That's how he scored his goal last night.
- watch out for players in contract years: Ohlund, Sedins, Bernier, Burrows, Hansen for example. They are probably going to excel, not only because they are possessed to win, but they want a raise as well. Does Ohlund's game look good or what? Yeesh. Watch him get about 45 points and 1000 hits.

-is Bernier any good? Wow.

-sure, Demitra creates chances with his speed, but he's a softy.

-this Canucks team exudes confidence. They haven't faced much adversity yet, but regardless, suck it TSN. They pegged finishing in 11th spot in the West. The guys out east just don't get it.

-Complete box score

- Highlights (Yahoo)

T Tags: Canucks+destroy+Flames recap October+10

Canucks-Flames Preview

This is a great day. After a summer that seemed to go by so quickly I don't shake my fist to the air in disgust or dread the oncoming cold of winter. Why? Because the NHL regular season starts right when the weather cools and the leaves fall from the trees in my part of the world. Bring it on! Mother Nature can poop 10 feet of snow on us and drop the temperature to -20 celsius and I don't care. Just give me a warm room, a couch, a spiced rum and coke, and a 42-inch high-def TV with hockey on it and the rest doesn't matter.

The Canucks won 6 and lost 1 in OT in a terrific preseason run. Only so much can be read into that. Sure it threw the nay-sayers into a bit of a tizzy and yes, a lot of the preseason games looked and felt like preseason games. But not the Canucks-Flames game on October 1st. Sure, the Flames outshot us to hell, but Miikka Kiprusoff was not playing all that Kipper-worthy. Luongo was a god. The Canucks dumped the smoldering Flames 6-1 that night.
The same cannot be expected tonight. A much closer affair is to be expected. Then again, the whole Northwest Division is going to be close all year long in my opinion.

What to watch out for tonight:

- There will be a Luc Bourdon tribute pregame. Canucks players will be wearing his number during the pregame warmup. This is going to be a very emotional start to the season. Win this one for Luc and his family, boys!

- NHL.com states that the Flames have lost 5 season openers in a row. Impressive. Love to hear that. Let's make that 6!

- Boo Bertuzzi. Just do it. And pray he doesn't catch on fire tonight. 14 goals and 40 assists for Big Bert last year in Anaheim. Underachievement. Many predict a rise to power for Bertuzzi playing with Iginla. I reserve judgement on that. He has too many distractions in his personal life and has had chances to excel in Detroit and Anaheim and never did.

- All these new Canucks..... are they all going to gel right away or will it take a little time? I can't wait to see what Shane O'Brien brings. How long will it take Steve Bernier to click with the Twins? He just has to park his carcass in front of the net and clean up the garbage.

- We are a tougher team now and I can't wait to see how that translates against an aggressive Flames team. I also can't wait to see more of Alain Vigneault's new offence-defence system and how it pans out.

- So many questions to be answered in Vancouver. So many people have written them off this season. Myself, I have a good feeling about the direction this team is going.

Prediction: 4-3 Canucks in a shootout.

Game Time: 7:30 PM PST
TV: CBC (I have not heard the new HNIC theme yet)

T Tags: Canucks+Flames+Preview Regular+Season+Game+1 2008-09 Bertuzzi

OK, so maybe Demitra will grow on me.....

I have never been a Demitra fan. Maybe it's the look on his face or his fragility. But after last night's destruction of an unprepared Flames squad Demitra said something that raised my repect level.

"I think they can do more and I think we can do much more damage," said Demitra, who had a goal, and two assists. "Every game we're getting better and better. I love how those two guys play. Pyatt just keeps going to the net and Mason is just so fast. It was important that Mason got a goal, and I think that is going to build his confidence."

That reeks of leadership, doesn't it? I don't think that Swede we used to have said that sort of thing all that often. (Yeah, I'm still bitter but I'm getting over it now). Is Ryan Walter turning this team into a bunch of shrinks?
The Canucks had a revolving door for their 2nd line last season, and Vigneault recognizes what Demitra is doing.

"Pavol is doing a good job trying to establish an identity for that line," Vigneault said. "He has taken charge of those two players, without a doubt.

"The way Pavol dishes the puck, it might be a pretty effective line for us."

Hell yeah. And if he keeps the Burrows-Kesler-Hansen line in tact we will have 3 lines that can score. So once again, why all of the despair from a lot of the media?
Let's drop the puck on the regular season already. I can't wait to see what this group is going to do.
More on this and last night's slaughter from Jason Botchford.

T Tags: Canucks+kill+Flames preseason Pavol+Demitra leadership scoring

Marcus Nilson heading to Russia

According Nilson's agent Claes Elefalk, the Flames are going to release Nilson so that he can sign in the KHL.
It's no secret that Nilson wanted out of Calgary.

T Tags: Marcus+Nilson+to+KHL Flames

Bruins sign Stephane Yelle

Terms were not disclosed. A checking center for the Bruins. Yelle has won 2 Cups with the Avalanche in his career.
I don't know what Yelle is going to make, but the Bruins are inching quite close to the Cap. I believe he made $1.25 million with the Flames last year.

**UPDATE** A 1-year deal worth $750,000. Great deal for Boston. It's funny how they always announce "in keeping with team policy, the terms were not disclosed". Meanwhile the terms are always figured out within an hour or two.

T Tags: Bruins+sign+Stephane+Yelle

Tanguay asked to be traded out of Calgary twice last season

From the Calgary Sun:

"I'm really looking forward to training camp", he said. "This is the most mythical hockey team. I feel like a baseball player just traded to the Yankees.
Twice last season I asked the Flames to trade me, and Montreal was on my wish list both times," he said, vowing to carve a permanent niche for himself in his home province. "I'm 28, and this is my ninth NHL season".

Tanguay, who only recorded 58 points last season, found himself on a "defensive" line with Craig Conroy and Owen Nolan, which ticked him off.

"I thought they traded for me from Colorado because I could generate offence."

So Tanguay was less-than impressed with Keenan and then agreed to waive his no trade clause to go to his dream team.
Like a said before, it's a francophone playing in Montreal, where he'll play his heart out. This will only benefit the Habs, who shed themselves of dead weight Michael Ryder and add an enthused Tanguay. Now if Carey Price proves Bob Gainey right this year (for trading Huet last season and making Price #1), then the Canadiens should win the East.

T Tags: Alex+Tanguay+happy+in+Montreal Canadiens trade Flames french

Bertuzzi formally introduced to Calgary fans and media

"Here you can't go five or 10 games without a point without anyone noticing and there you can go under the radar a little bit," Bertuzzi said. "That's one thing that I think is going to benefit not just myself but this team. I think you are under the gun here and under the pressure of having to perform."

Big Bert is looking forward to the extra ice time he'll get in Calgary. He stated basically that he couldn't get his game going in Anaheim while playing only 10-12 minutes per game.
So what do you predict Bert will do in Calgary playing with Cammalleri and Iginla?
I guess about 25 goals and 50 points. Nothing boosts a player's output like playing with Iginla.
But we'll see. Bert has been on the decline. This is his big chance to re-stake his name as a premier power forward.
Canucks fans are going to see a lot of him this year.
Notice how he's wearing #7. A changeup there. Jim Vandermeer wears #4 and Rhett Warrener wears #44.
Mike Cammalleri, Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross and Andre Roy were also introduced today.
More on the Bertuzzi intro plus a clip at TSN.

T Tags: Todd+Bertuzzi+introduced+to+Calgary+media Flames news+conference

Devils put Vishnevski on waivers / Marcus Nilson can't leave Calgary

Looks like Lou Lamorielli is trying to shave some salary, to the tune of $1.4 million as the rough and tough Vishnevski was put on waivers today. Any takers? We'll see. He was a career-worst -12 with the Devils last season. He was benched by coach Sutter, and was basically the 7th defenceman.
He's not known for putting up a lot of points, but he can sure kill guys pretty well.

VishTube

- Brett McLean feels the wrath of Vishnevski.

- Boyd Gordon turns around to play the puck and bango! Vitaly shows him how to lay down real quick-like.That was a suicide pass wasn't it?

- Vishnevski sends Tjarnqvist into the boards.

- Karma. Ovechkin runs over Vishnevski. What a collision! Vitaly can take that kind of hit though. He's tough.

---

Marcus Nilson wants to get away from the Calgary Flames and Mike Keenan, but he just can't get out of his contract. According to HockeyExpressen.se, a team from the KHL is interested in Nilson, but he has one more year (at $1 million) left with the Flames.
According to the article, Nilson wanted to have his contract bought out but the Flames are not willing to do so.

"They do not want to buy me out. It was a little pity. But they can do whatever they want."

This change in attitude from Nilson contradicts how he was talking about playing in Calgary and under Keenan early last season (November). By December, he was a healthy scratch about 6 times.
He finshed the season having only played 47 games, scoring 3 goals and 5 points. He also suffered a concussion injury, by the way.
The gritty winger was mostly reduced to checking-role duty. At one point he was complaining about not being allowed to play enough 5-on-5 and was being used as a penalty killer mostly.
I don't think this news has not even hit the North American papers yet, but I'm sure it will soon.

MarcusTube

- Nilson drops the gloves with Marty "beyond all" Reasoner.

T Tags: Devils+put+Vitaly+Vishnevski+on+waivers Marcus+Nilson+wants+out+of+Calgary buyout

Flames sign Todd Bertuzzi

Just when you think Bertuzzi's NHL career has winded down he finds a new home. Now Canucks fans are going to see Bertuzzi a lot more, as the Flames have signed him to a 1-year $1.95 million deal.

"Todd is a proven scorer with the ability to play both wings," Flames GM Darryl Sutter said today. "He expressed to us that he wanted to play in Canada and that desire along with signing him to a one-year deal was important to our philosophy. He wanted to play on a good team and it fit our money. Additionally, our captain, Jarome Iginla, was a strong supporter of Todd and wanted him on our team."

Wow, Iginla wanted Bertuzzi in Calgary.
Fans and teams alike are waiting for Bertuzzi to regain his old superstar status that he had shown in Vancouver from 2001-2003. Big Bert lost his edge after the infamous Steve Moore incident and never regained his form. Some of that can be attributed to major injuries, like his back for example, which kept him out of action for almost all of the 2006-07 season, where he played for both the Panthers and the Red Wings.
Brian Burke took a chance on the him last season in Anaheim, but the big guy only managed 14 goals and 40 points in 68 games during the regular season and only 2 assists in 6 playoff games. Which Bertuzzi will show up in Calgary? Hopefully the mediocre one, as they are our enemy. Are Canucks fans going to boo or cheer him every time he plays against us? Should be interesting. Iginla is a great player to align yourself with, so we could see a resurgence.

"I gotta to say, Jarome is 100 per cent why I'm a Calgary Flame," said Bertuzzi. "I had great talks with him. Everything he said about the organization and the city was nothing but positive. Haven't talked to my family, we decided it was a good opportunity for us and we couldn't pass it by."

Bertuzzi is an upgrade from Owen Nolan in a sense. He had more points per game than Nolan did, plus he's cheaper, as Nolan signed in Minnesota for 2 years at $2.75 million per season. I just think Bert tends to float too much, where Nolan was in your face all the time.

T Tags: Flames+sign+Todd+Bertuzzi Unrestricted+free+agent

Roenick steals the show

Nothing beats watching 2 Game 7's in a row. A busy but steady Martin Biron stalls the Caps while the stagnant Joffrey Lupul bags the series-clinching goal in the first game and then....of all people...The Mouth of the South Jeremy Roenick turns the clock back about 10 years tonight and absolutely steals the show. Roenick scored 2 goals and had 2 assists as the Sharks, aided by their home crowd, buried the stunned Flames 5-3.
Jeremy fricking Roenick. I think he has 6 goals and 2 assists in 7 career Game 7's now. It's amazing what happens when an egomaniac gets benched in a critical game 6, only to prove his coaching staff wrong and become a hero in the finale.
Jeremy fricking-assed Roenick. Yeah, I hate him. But when he does something like this, I have to respect. I didn't mind him in the Chicago days, and I don't mind seeing him play like this in a Sharks jersey.
The questions will now abound in Calgary as to what to do with the team.
That would have been the case in San Jose had they lost, but the better team won tonight.
I have to tip my hat to Owen Nolan, who really silenced my critical ass in this series. He was heroic.
Even though Kiprusoff let in one weak, screened goal, I wouldn't fault him too much for the loss. The Flames just couldn't contain a possessed Sharks team.
How much of a sigh of relief do you think Sharks coach Ron Wilson let out when the final horn sounded?
I have been knocking Thornton so much in this series. Tonight I thought he really put out a great consistent effort. He had 1 goal, played over 21:00, and really showed the consistent hustle that I thought he lacked throughout the series. Good on him.
On to round 2, where an even better team in Dallas awaits.
Jeremy fricking Roenick. I still can't believe it.

T Tags: Sharks+beat+Flames Game+7 Jeremy+Roenick hero jackass

Thoughts on tonight's Game 7's

It is difficult to pick the Flyers to win tonight's game against the Caps. The Caps have caught fire again and must be primed after erasing a 2-0 deficit in Game 6 and winning 4-2 to stun the Flyers and their fans in Philly's building. Ovechkin had not scored a point since Game 1 and the pressure was building. Even amongst all the tight-checking and banging done to him, he broke out last game, scoring the winning goal and the killer 4th goal. The Caps are not a 1-man team. Teaming Semin with Backstrom has proven to be magic, while Kozlov, Fedorov and Alex play well together as well.
Bad news for Philly indeed. They are going to have to buckle down and score in bunches to beat the Caps. But that's a tall order with Huet in net.
I say the Caps win 4-3.

**UPDATE**

I'm not sure when or how it's OK for Thoreson to push the Caps D-man into Huet and then Kapanen scores, but that's how it was. In the end, I thought the Capitals were explosive, but the Flyers put out a massive gutsy effort. No Gagne. No Knuble. These Flyers are good.
Nice touch by Ovechkin by saluting the fans. OV is THE MAN.


You can toss the Sharks into the big heap of trouble as well. What is it going to take to inspire these guys to match the Flames' physicality and desire? Does Thornton need to snort a bowl of coke before he goes out there? How about Michalek and Campbell show something? Do Ryan Clowe and Nabokov have to do it all by themselves?
You know what will help here? Home ice advantage. That had better fire these guys up, or Ron Wilson is going to be fired by next week. Maybe even the return of Jeremy Roenick (after being a healthy scratch last game) may help.
I got the Sharks winning this one 2-1, even though I have lost almost all of my trust in these guys and should be giving up on them by now.

**UPDATE** Jeremy "fucking" Roenick??????

T Tags: Capitals Flyers Flames Sharks Game+7

Zany's take on the playoffs so far: Avery, penalties, dives and Thornton

I find it very difficult to post anything during these playoffs lately. That is, until yesterday's games and events.
Some days I can hate Sean Avery. But I really couldn't help but laugh at what he was doing to screen Martin Brodeur during Sunday's game. That was awesome comedic stuff. Brodeur was bewildered.

"I've played for 15 years in this league. I've been watching games for 33 years. I had never seen that in my life," Brodeur said. "I don't think that kind of behavior should be done in front of the net, but there is no rule for it."

Well, the NHL changed that in a New York minute. Today the NHL quickly added a new rule and stated that "An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender's face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play." Those are the words of Colin Campbell.
And you knew he had to do something about it. If Avery got off free from that, then you'd be seeing that type of screening in other games as well...really quick-like. But you have to hand it to Avery. For a guy that acts like a meathead most of the time, he found a little grey area in the NHL rulebook and flaunted it for the whole world to see.
I got a great laugh out of that.

---

I am overly sick of all the damned penalties though. The inconsistencies of calls, the dives, the blown calls, the even-up calls. Christ, this sport is turning into soccer.
Out of 96 goals scored in the playoffs so far (thru Sunday), 32 of them were on the powerplay. That is about 33%. Seem a little high? I had originally thought it was a lot higher. In 19 playoffs games, there have been 176 powerplays. That's 9 per game average.
I'd like to do a percentage of those that were dives or embellishments, but I've lost track. With the refs calling the penalties even more in the OT's now than before, I don't want to see too many games being decided by weak or chincey calls, let alone a Stanley Cup-winning game. Can you imagine a dive deciding a Stanley Cup Finals game?? I shudder at the thought.
It's just too many penalties for me regardless. I'd like to see this obstruction rule go away, or for the players to stop putting their sticks on opposing players. Either/or. Just make it stop, please.

---

What a win by Calgary last night. And what a performance by Curtis Joseph. Good to see ol' Cujo back up his "I still have a lot left in me" statement.
Now, is this the knife in the back for San Jose? It could very well be. All I know is 2 things:
1. Nobody is bashing Mike Keenan now.
2. Joe Thornton is not proving himself and does not have anything more than one dimension (or gear) in his game. He constantly floats in both zones and looks like a damned slug. But if you get the puck to him behind the net and the opposing team gives him a bit of space back there, then LOOK OUT! But that's all I'm really seeing from him.
Patrick Marleau however, played a heroic game despite the loss, and really bounced back ofter Cory Sarich decked him.
Marleau and especially Nabokov called some players out after the game. From the Sharks' site:

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was very direct in his postgame comments about some “boys needing to act like men” and his teammates backed up those thoughts.
“Some guys aren’t pulling their weight,” Marleau said.

Yeah, that includes YOU, Thornton. Prove yourself in the playoffs for once. Hell, the guy reminds me of an oversized Sedin sometimes.

T Tags: Avery+screens+Brodeur rule+change NHL+Playoffs+penalties diving Joe+Thornton+playoff+performance

Thursday NHL Links and stories

A crazy story coming out of Montreal:

The city's mayor is seeing red - and white and blue - after firefighters painted several fire stations to show their support for the Montreal Canadiens.
As the Habs prepared to face the Boston Bruins in the first game of their playoff series on Thursday, Mayor Gerald Tremblay was getting ready to send in work crews to clean up the impromptu paint jobs.
"And we're going to send the bill to the (firefighters') union... it's tolerance zero," he said.

I guess the point there is that the city is trying to stop the grafitti issue and it doesn't help deter the issue when firefighters paint Habs logos all over the stations. Check out the rest of that story. It's a good read. Hate to say it, but I agree with the mayor on that one.

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The Ottawa Sun also had a piece on the reaction of Sens fans after the game 1 loss to the Pens. One fan quipped:

When the boogie-man goes to bed, he first checks his closet and under his bed for Gary Roberts.

Indeed. Gary Roberts was playing on the 4th line and was a force out there. Even though I hate the Pens with all that I am, I really am a big fan of Gary Roberts. He just keeps ticking, and looks to be a Sens killer again. Sens fans seem to be feeling quite pessimistic right now, and I don't blame them. But like one fan said, "suck it up and cheer for the team to turn it around."
Word is that Alfredsson is only riding and exercise bike at this point and is recovering from neck and back injuries. That means that he probably won't play in round 1. Hey, I or you can say all you want about European captains, but this is a serious blow to Ottawa. Alfie proved himself to be a great leader in last year's playoffs.

---

Can you believe that the Sharks finished the regular season with an 18-2-1-1 record? It's no suprise that the Flames win over San Jose was a shock. What are they planning to do to change their fate?

"We just need to get more traffic on him," Sharks center Joe Thornton said. "We gave him shots that he saw and when he sees the shot he's going to save it every time. We're going to have to work for our goals this series."

There is a potential upset in the making in this series, but can you really trust the Flames to be consistent and finish off the Sharks? Not me.

---

Sure, Martin Brodeur gaffed on Callahan's go-ahead goal last night and the Rangers never looked back. But that's not the point. The Devils need to score more goals, and it doesn't help that captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who is a player that can get this team rolling, is pointless in his last 5 games. He also only has 2 goals in his last 14 games. If Langenbrunner doesn't snap out of it, the Devils are probably done. Oh yeah, you can also tack on the fact that Scott Gomez looks primed to bury his old team.
More bad news for the Devils: Brian Gionta is nursing a "sore side". He did not play much in the 3rd period last night.
Even more bad news for New Jersey: What the hell is wrong with Patrick Elias? His production has tanked for too long.

T tags: Montreal+firemen+graffiti Gary+Roberts Senators+killer Alfredsson+injury+update Brian+Gionta+injury Scott+Gomez+is+the+man Langenbrunner+cold

It could all come down to tonight

Oh yeah, I can make a mockery Photoshop of the Oilers over and over again and poke fun at the bastards, but in reality, I have a lot of respect for this team that was doomed to fade away and die this year. The Oilers, with a lot of help from shootout wins, just about managed a playoff berth to pull off the unthinkable. A respectable feat this season was for them.
But tonight's game is all about business, not respect. Tonight, Canucks and Canuck fans alike could lay their heads on their pillows in shame and defeat or they could stay up a little later with happy thoughts of grand possibilities of making the playoffs. A win by Nashville and a Canucks loss will eliminate us. Simple as that.
The Canucks know they have to win and are throwing all the cliches around to the media. Let's just say there will be some extra motivation if they see on the scoreboard that the Blues defeated the Predators tonight (or even vice versa). That game will end at about 7:30 pm, right when the Canucks hit the ice.
Are you feeling at all positive? It's tough to be after that Colorado loss isn't it? Luongo is not that sharp lately, the Canucks have lost 4 of 5 (the Preds are the polar opposite), and the injury bug strikes again. Taylor Pyatt will not play tonight as he suffered a concussion from that hit in the corner last game from Jeff (pull my) Finger. As much as I liked Pyatt's gritty efforts lately, he hasn't been scoring enough. So let's see somebody else step it up.

Oiler notes: Alice in Hemskyland (knee) will not play tonight. Kyle Brodziak is out as well with a broken finger. Excellent. Now, can someone please shadow this Glencross guy? He's fucking dangerous, and red hot at the moment!

My call

Is St. Louis up to the task of gaining revenge for a 3-goal blown lead against the Preds a couple of nights ago? It's possible. But without any logic whatsoever, I think the Preds will beat the Blues and the Canucks will beat the Coilers 2-1. I think this is going down to the last game of the season where Mr. Positivity returns. And he says the Hawks beat the Preds and Canucks beat the Flames so Vancouver gets into the playoffs. Is there any other way to think? May as well stay positive right to the end.

GAME TIME: 7:30 PM
TV: Canucks 'fricking' PPV

**UPDATE**
Apparently Matt Pettinger is sick, so the great Jannik Hansen has been called up from Manitoba. There are stipulations, according to TSN:

Vancouver had previously used up all of its recalls. Both players will take the pre-game skate so if Pettinger is able to play then Hansen is ineligible to play. Expect Hansen to play because with Taylor Pyatt out the Canucks desperately need another top-six forward. They also want Rypien in the lineup because of the physical factor.

T Tags: Canucks Oilers Preview Predators Blues playoff+race Pyatt+injured concussion